The life of Methuselah; The oldest person in the Bible
Longevity is one of the most noticeable features of characters in the old testament in the Bible. Personalities who lived in the Antediluvian period (the time before the flood recorded in Genesis 6 v 8) lived for centuries.
The longevity of Methuselah and other patriarchs make one wonder why and how they lived for such long periods as opposed to the current generation of humans. Based on genealogies, the length of the Antediluvian period was approximately 1,656.
The Antediluvian period is a significant period of the Bible and Jesus while prophesying about his second coming, compared events that will happen before he comes again with the incidents that happened before Noah built the Ark of God in preparation for the flood.
Jesus said;
“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 37 v 39)
A good number of patriarchs lived for centuries but the oldest person in the Bible records is a man called Methuselah.
Methuselah was one of the descendants of Adam, the first man God created who lived for 930 years according to Genesis 5 v 5. Methuselah was born more than three thousand years before Christ came
Methuselah was the grandfather of Noah, the man who built the Ark of God before the great flood happened. The meaning of Methuselah is “man of the spear” and “his death shall bring.” Methuselah is the oldest man in the Bible who lived for 969 years.
It is believed that Enoch, Methuselah’s father received a revelation from God that the great flood won’t come to pass until the death of his son.
The Biblical mathematical analysis in the book of Genesis Chapter 5, also confirmed the prophecy. When Lamech, the son of Methuselah was born, his father was 187 years old, Lamech was 182 years when Noah, his son was born. The great flood occurred when Noah was 600 years old.
So the summation of these ages equal 969 which means Methuselah died before the time of the flood.
The time it took before the prophecy happened in a way, can be explained as one of the reasons why Methuselah lived so long given that biblical prophecies don’t happen immediately. Some prophecies didn’t come to pass hundreds of years later.
For instance, the prophecy God sent to the children of Judah through Prophet Isiah didn’t come to pass until 115 years after King Hezekiah died. King Hezekiah offended God by showing the treasures of Israel to the King of Babylon who had initially sent him some gifts when he was sick (2nd Kings 20 v 1-20).
The Bible didn’t say much about the works or deeds of Methuselah other than he lived for 969 years and is the son of Enoch, the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah.
Methuselah was represented as an eccentric character, a witch doctor in the 2014 movie Noah. However, it does appear that he shares that trait because he is from the lineage of the obedient and righteous children of God before the flood came.
As recorded in Genesis chapter 5, the other men who lived for at least five centuries are as follows:
- Adam, 930 years (Genesis 5:5).
- Seth, 912 years (Genesis 5:8).
- Enosh, 905 years (Genesis 5:11).
- Kenan, 910 years (Genesis 5:14).
- Mahalalel, 895 years (Genesis 5:17)
- Jared, 962 years (Genesis 5:20).
- Enoch, 365 years (Genesis 5:22–24).
- Lamech, 777 years (Genesis 5:31)
- Noah, 950 years (Genesis 9 v 29)
Despite the advent of science and technology in the health sector, no one has lived up to 969 years. This raises the question of why humans of the present generation don’t live for centuries?
A biblical reference in the book of Psalm posits that the life span of humans is only 70 years.
“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.” (Psalm 90 v 10).
The effects of climate change, wars, diseases and other existential problems in relation to the Bible passage above might be a probable answer to the question.
Note: Display picture used only as a representation of Methuselah
