Uriel
Archangel Uriel: The Flame of Divine Wisdom and Justice
In the vast drama of celestial events, few figures are as enigmatic and powerful as Archangel Uriel, whose name means “God is my Light.” A being of immense wisdom and divine justice, Uriel plays a critical role in apocalyptic revelations, heavenly guidance, and the sacred transmission of spiritual knowledge to humanity.
When the Earth became rife with corruption and unspeakable wickedness, it was Uriel—along with the archangels Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel—who brought the cry of humanity before the throne of the Almighty. In response, God dispatched His holy angels to intervene in the chaos wrought by the fallen Watchers and their hybrid offspring, the Nephilim.
Raphael was sent to bind the rebellious angel Azael hand and foot, casting him into the depths of Dudael, a dark and desolate pit lined with jagged rocks—where he remains imprisoned until the Day of Judgment. Gabriel incited war among the Fallen Ones, turning them against each other in a final act of divine retribution. Michael, the warrior prince of heaven, chained the leader of the Watchers, Semyaza, and his cohorts in hidden caverns, sealing them away for seventy generations.
But it was Uriel who emerged as the bearer of salvation.
Dispatched by the great heavenly scribe Metatron, Uriel descended to the Earth to warn Noah—the righteous man chosen by God—of the impending deluge. He revealed the divine plan of the Great Flood and instructed Noah to build an ark, thus preserving the lineage of humanity and the sacred creatures of the Earth.
Uriel’s role extends far beyond apocalyptic missions. He is revered as a patron of wisdom and spiritual insight. Like Metatron, Uriel is credited in mystical traditions with bestowing the sacred teachings of the Kabbalah upon humanity—a luminous system of divine secrets, paths, and truths that bridge heaven and Earth. He is also said to have led Abraham out of Ur, guiding him on his divine journey and illuminating the meaning of prophetic visions that would shape the future of monotheistic faiths.
In the apocryphal text 4 Ezra, Uriel is the one who answers the prophet Ezra’s anguished questions about the nature of evil, the suffering of the righteous, and the justice of God. With patience and clarity, he unveils heavenly mysteries, guiding the seeker through a labyrinth of spiritual truth.
Uriel also appears in ancient writings discovered among the Qumran scrolls and in Gnostic texts such as the Gospel of Barnabas, where he is portrayed as a divine guide of the luminaries—those celestial bodies that govern time and fate.
Though venerated in early Christian traditions, Uriel’s place in the canon was not without controversy. In 745 C.E., a church council declared him among the reprobated angels—a group whose veneration was considered heretical. However, his reputation endured, and he was later reinstated in various mystical and esoteric traditions, particularly within Eastern Orthodox Christianity, angelology, and Kabbalistic teachings.
Uriel is often depicted holding an open flame or a radiant orb of light—symbols of his role as the bringer of divine illumination and the eternal flame of conscience. In art and vision, he stands as a guardian of divine secrets, a fierce protector of truth, and a constant reminder that divine justice always burns, even in the darkest night.
FURTHER READING:
- Gaster, Theodor H. The Dead Sea Scriptures. 3d ed. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor/Doubleday, 1976.
- Godwin, Malcolm. Angels: An Endangered Species. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990.
- Margolies, Morris B. A Gathering of Angels. New York: Ballantine Books, 1994.
