It’s a hoax.
The viral video above supposedly shows a Nigerian pastor with the handle ‘Pastor Daniel’ entering the lions’ cage at a zoo to show that nothing can happen to a man of God, just like in the Bible story. “Pastor Daniel brought his church members to show them that nothing can happen to a man of God,” a Nigerian blogger wrote on Instagram. In Kenya, a local television station shared the video and it caught the attention of a member of the Kenyan parliament, Ronald Karauri. “I volunteer to take him to the Maasai Mara [national park] please, all expenses paid. We look for the lions and he can go walk with them,” he posted on Twitter/X.
Uh, no. The BBC investigated, and the video is from Somalia, while the episode shot took place in 2021 in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The “pastor” was Mohamed Abdirahman Mohamed. He is a zookeeper and explained at the time that he raised the young lions that he is shown playing with.
Now, in 1991 a genuine emulator of the biblical Daniel, “Prophet Daniel Abodunrin,” actually did enter the lion enclosure at the University of Ibadan zoo in Nigeria. He was a real preacher, and invited his followers to watch him as he demonstrated how the power of faith can tame the savage beasts. After entering the lions’ den—it is believed a zookeeper let him in—Abodunrin chanted Bible verses while commanding communicating the big cats to be peaceful
The lions pounced on him, tore Abodunrin apart, and ate him.
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Ethics Alarms 
While there are many Biblical passages that suggest the faithful will never come to any harm (cf Psalm 91:10-13), there are plenty of other Biblical passages that demonstrate that in this life, the faithful can indeed be harmed. Consider the entire book of Job. Or consider St. Paul, who was shipwrecked, stoned, beaten, and eventually beheaded. Yes, he fell into a den of adders and was bitten and miraculously survived, but unless one holds to a very rigid interpretation — “The Bible only says the faithful will be protected from lions and vipers, not beheadings” — it seems pretty clear that great harm can indeed be inflicted on the faithful, and the promise made is actually more eschatological in nature (or in this life is made to particular people at particular times, but not everyone everywhere at all times).
And while I know this is extrabiblical, surely most Christians acknowledge that many faithful were indeed torn apart by lions in the Roman coliseums?
I’m try to determine exactly how to phrase the ethical principle of knowing one’s religion before acting in very imprudent ways. Before making a leap of faith off the cliff, make sure you know God is actually calling you to make that leap? Or would Jesus’ direction, “Be as shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” cover this situation as well? Either way, it seems that prudence and wisdom are both being violated when a pastor decides to put God to the test by walking into the lion’s den.
The ethics of portraying a video of a zookeeper who has long handled the lions in their den as a miracle of faith performed by a pastor is obvious.
Christians are never promised that nothing bad will ever happen to them. Jesus even promises, “In this world, ye shall have troubles” (John 16:33). Not might have troubles; not only have troubles if you’re a bad person; not avoid troubles if you’re an American. Shall.
Within the will of God, He can protect you. Sometimes, He does. That doesn’t mean He’s required to do so. Nor does it mean He is required to help you the way you think you should be helped.
When Jesus was tempted, the Devil told Him to jump off the Temple Mount since scripture says that angels would keep him from harm. Jesus told Satan that the scripture also says not to tempt (test) the Lord.
If God tells you to do a thing, He may very well protect you from danger while you do it. It’s not a get-out-of-danger-free card to use whenever you want, though.
When the three Hebrews were thrown into the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel, they told the king that God was able to deliver them, but that – and this is the important part – “even if He does not” they would not worship the Babylonian gods or worship the image that had been set up. They were prepared for the possibility that they would die.
Many people take incidents from the Bible and assumed that, because it worked that way for that specific historical person, it will work the same for a different person today. That’s not how God works. Sticking Him in a box and wrapping Him in human-conceived wrapping paper as if He were the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny, obligated to engage in business transactions as your whim, is a quick road to trouble.
God didn’t tell Pastor Daniel to let himself into a cage of lions, say the magic words and get the power of the Almighty to keep him safe. He chose to do that himself and test God. Instead, Pastor Daniel failed the test.
Ryan and AM gave wonderful comments. Who didn’t see this ending: “Religious guy tempts fate by jumping into a lions’ den and gets torn apart?” The headline writes itself.
jvb
People who pull stunts like this always remind me of Proverbs 16:18:
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
The sin of pride is one of our most frequent and serious offenses against God, and consequently one of the most warned-against in the Bible. One could say that pride is the source of many other sins, which find a foothold when we put our own will and desires above the authority of God. Much unethical and illegal behavior begins with prideful thoughts and actions.
God delivers people from “certain death” every day, but he does so for His purposes and not in accord with our desires. Trying to put God on the spot to deliver a certain desired outcome is contrary to Biblical teaching and sound doctrine. It often ends badly.