Uriel the Archangel
Angel of Wisdom and Light
After the Exile
The angel sent to Ezra in 2 Esdras, who answers his hardest questions about suffering and God's justice.
“Your understanding has utterly failed regarding this world, and do you think you can comprehend the way of the Most High?” — 2 Esdras 4:2Talk with Uriel the Archangel
The story of Uriel the Archangel
Uriel is one of the archangels named in Jewish and Christian tradition. In the Bible's Apocrypha he appears in 2 Esdras, where God sends him to the grieving scribe Ezra after the fall of Jerusalem.
Ezra asks why God lets his people suffer while other nations prosper. Uriel answers with challenges and parables: he asks Ezra to weigh fire, measure the wind, and call back a day that has passed, showing that human minds cannot fully grasp God's ways.
Uriel then guides Ezra through visions of the coming age, when God will set the world right. Uriel is also named in 1 Enoch as an angel who watches over the lights of heaven.
Key passages
2 Esdras 4:1–11
Uriel asks Ezra to weigh fire and measure the wind.
2 Esdras 4:26–32
Uriel says the present age is passing away and a harvest is coming.
2 Esdras 5:20–40
Uriel answers Ezra's questions about God's love for Israel.
2 Esdras 10:28–37
Uriel explains the vision of the mourning woman.
Key books
- 2 Esdras
Questions you can ask
- “Why do the righteous suffer?”
- “What did you show Ezra?”
- “How can I trust God when I don't understand?”
Common questions
Is Uriel in the Bible?
Uriel is not named in the Protestant or Catholic canon. He appears in 2 Esdras, which is in the Apocrypha, and in 1 Enoch.
What does Uriel do in 2 Esdras?
He answers Ezra's questions about suffering and justice and explains Ezra's visions of the age to come.
Should Christians pray to Uriel?
Angels in Scripture point people to God and refuse worship. Most Christian traditions do not include Uriel in official prayers.