The name Uriel means God is my Light; or God is Light; or Radiation of God; or God is the radiating principle of Light; or Fire of God.
Uriel is one of the Archangels of rabbinical angelology. He was sent by God to answer the questions of Esdras (II Esdras iv). He is mentioned in I Enoch and IV Ezra, where he "watches over thunder and terror." In the Midrash 1, Uriel is said to be one of the four guardians of God's throne. In The Book of Adam and Eve he presides over repentance.
Uriel appears in Milton's Paradise Lost where he is the 'Regent of the Sun' and 'sharpest-sighted spirit of all in heaven.'
Uriel is of the leading angels in noncanonical lore, and ranked variously as a Seraph, Cherub, Regent of the Sun, Flame of God, and Angel of the Presence. As one of the most faithful and dedicated members of the host, Uriel was also placed in charge of Tartarus (another name for Hades).
Uriel has been identified as one of the angels who helped bury Adam and Abel in Paradise. He is known as the dark angel who wrestled with Jacob at Peniel; as the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib ; as the messenger sent by God to Noah to warn him of the impending deluge, (although Raphael is credited with teaching the building of the ark), all of which feats or missions have been credited to other angels. In the view of Louis Ginzberg, the "prince of lights" in The Manual of Discipline, refers to Uriel. In addition, Uriel is said to have disclosed the mysteries of the heavenly arcana to Ezra; interpreted prophecies, and led Abraham out of Ur.
In later Judaism we find Uriel instead of Phanuel" as one of the 4 angels of the presence. The Magus claims that alchemy "which is of divine origin" was brought down to earth by Uriel, and that it was Uriel who gave the cabala to man, although this "key to the mystical interpretation of Scripture" is also said to have been the gift of Metatron.
Legend tells us that Uriel stands at the gate of the Lost Eden with a fiery sword. The Lost Eden is a term describing forgetting to Love God. The fiery sword shows that negative matter (selfish and unpure desires) are destroyed when one truly focuses their love on God. In this legend Uriel reminds humanity to Love God by using the "fire of God" (by using the fiery sword).
Uriel teaches the path of the heart, the fire of pure Love. Without this pure Love and devotion to Spirit, all spiritual study remains an intellectual pursuit, fairy gold. This understanding of true spiritual study is further supported by the tradition that Uriel brought to Earth: Alchemy, the heavenly arcana and was the giver of the Cabala to man.
It is through Noah's devotion and Love of God that Uriel is able to warn him of the flood. Noah's pure love and devotion was the telephone number of Uriel. If Noah had been unable to express divine love and devotion to God, he would have been unable to hear Uriel's warning via the cosmic phone. This is how another attribute associated with Uriel has arisen, the attribute of Divine Vengeance and Judgement. Only if the heart is ignited in devotion to God can one hear Yahweh's call. If one does not hear Yahweh's call, one will perish (get caught in the flood). Without Yahweh's guides and messages, one cannot find the Eternal Light. Uriel is said to have been the interpreter of Ezra's visions which also explains why Uriel means "God is the radiating principle of Light."
Uriel's symbol of an open hand holding a flame depicts a great gift to humanity. It is the flame of Love to ignite the heart in service to God. Uriel holds out the flame of Love towards all souls. The soul by filling with the flame of Love becomes devoted to serving Yahweh's plan. Uriel's flame of Love, the fire of God, the Light of God, purifies emotional and mental understanding transmuting the lower vibrations into frequencies that can assimilate Spiritual Understanding.
Accepted as an archangel by the Church for many centuries, he was finally removed from the records in 745 CE as the Church became increasingly concerned with the prominence the public was placing upon angels.
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