Uriel’s Earthly Light

The fourth great Power supporting the Throne of the Most High is the “Archangel of Light” — Uriel. This Archangel is one of the “Angels of Presence” who sustain the Presence of the Most High, the Shekhinah, in Her manifestation within the created worlds.

The Archangel‘s name (Hebrew אוּרִיאֵל — “Light of God, or God is Light”) signifies his role as a conduit of the divine light into the “dense” world and may be rendered as “Light of the Earth.”

According to Jewish tradition (“The Ascension of Moses”), this Archangel has two faces — the active aspect, Uriel, and the more “passive” Nuriel (אלנוּר, “Fire of God”): the first name begins with the active, fiery, aerial letter Aleph, while in the second it is replaced by the more inert, watery Nun. Thus the aspect that “supports the Throne” is Nuriel, while the aspect that “guards the Gate of the North” is Uriel.

Moreover, in some sources Uriel is identified with Phanuel (פְּנוּאֵל, “Face of God”), another Angel of Presence and one of the principal Archangels of exorcism, although the “Book of Enoch” distinguishes these angels.

Unlike Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Uriel is not mentioned in the canonical biblical texts (appearing only in the apocryphal “Book of Enoch” and the “Third Book of Ezra”), and therefore is absent from Catholic liturgies. Nevertheless, Uriel is widely venerated in Orthodox churches and in several Eastern Christian traditions, and his name frequently occurs in Gnostic and magical literature.

Beginning with Gnostic literature, Uriel is described as the Archangel of the earth element, forming a tetrad with Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. Corresponding to the final letter of the Tetragrammaton, Uriel does not merely govern the passive, inert principle of earth but also endows it with vitality and the capacity to generate life — as signified by the “Light” component of his name. The thunderous connotations in the semantic field of this Archangel point to the same.

In his active aspect, Uriel is often called the “Angel of Thunder and Terror” (“Book of Enoch”), while in the calmer manifestation, Nuriel, is the “angel of rain and hail.” In any case, this concerns the descent of a fertilizing celestial power to the earth and thus the imparting fertility. The “Book of Raziel” also names Uriel the “Prince of the Four Winds.”

Apocryphal Christian traditions often associate Uriel with the “guardian” of John the Forerunner, thereby hinting at his role as the “preparer of the ground” for the descent of the Spirit to earth (the manifestation of Christ).

In the “Book of Adam and Eve” and the “Apocalypse of Peter,” Uriel is called the “Angel of Repentance,” and according to Jewish traditions it was he who checked the doors of the Israelites for the “mark” — the lamb’s blood — before the Exodus. These mentions likewise attest to the Archangel’s terrestrial activity, watching to ensure that the “earthly” stage of human existence proceeds rightly, in an evolutionary direction, and that the “seeds” of their spirituality and righteousness produce true shoots. Another such episode is Uriel’s mention as an assistant at the burials of Adam and Abel, by which he, of course, also contributed to the “spiritualization of matter”; according to some traditions, this same Archangel warned Noah of the coming Flood: “Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said unto him: ‘<Go to Noah> and tell him in My Name: ‘Hide thyself! and reveal unto him the approaching end: all the earth shall be destroyed, and a flood shall come upon all the earth and destroy all that is upon it'” (“1 Book of Enoch”).

Uriel is often called the “Guardian of the Gates of Eden,” and in Orthodox iconography he is depicted with a sword in his hand.

At the same time, into Uriel’s hands are placed the keys of the Abyss, for materiality — the dense plane — is the principal barrier preventing demonic invasion into the “bright,” sephirothic worlds. According to the “Book of Enoch,” “Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus”.

Uriel is associated with the hierarchies of Seraphim or Cherubim, as well as other “fiery” hierarchies. In any case, the Archangel’s role as a “conductor of Light” into matter (which can be wounding, scorching) is discussed in many sources.

Thus, Uriel is the force that ensures the Presence of Divine Light within the most inert medium, endowing that medium with spiritual vitality and generative activity. On the level of mind, Uriel manifests as a force of unbending will, a striving for steady progress toward a goal — unstoppable intent.

In this sense, Uriel opposes Belphegor, the dark sun, the demon of sloth and passivity.

Uriel’s active presence in the mind allows one to maintain motivation, sustain tension, and preserve forward momentum.