Is there an archangel named Uriel?
Is There an Archangel Named Uriel?
A Baptist Theological Examination
(All Scripture is quoted in the New King James Version – NKJV)
I. Introduction: What Does the Bible Say About Named Angels?
From a biblical and Baptist standpoint, the inspired Word of God—comprised of the 66 canonical books—recognizes only two named holy angels: Michael and Gabriel. Among these, only Michael is explicitly called an archangel.
Jude 1:9 (NKJV):
“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil... said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’”
Revelation 12:7 (NKJV):
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought.”
Gabriel appears as a messenger, not an archangel, in both the Old and New Testaments:
Luke 1:26 (NKJV):
“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.”
No other angel is named in the inspired canon of Scripture. Thus, the name Uriel is not found anywhere in the Bible accepted by Baptist believers.
II. Who Is Uriel and Where Does the Name Come From?
The name Uriel means “light of God” or “fire of God.” While he is not mentioned in the canonical Scriptures, he appears in apocryphal and pseudepigraphal books such as:
2 Esdras (also called 4 Ezra in the Latin Vulgate)
The Book of Enoch
Various Jewish mystical writings (e.g., in the Zohar)
John Milton’s Paradise Lost (literary, not theological)
In these sources, Uriel is portrayed in different roles:
A guide to Ezra in visions (2 Esdras)
One of four angels over the four quarters of the earth
A gatekeeper of hell or Tartarus
Possibly the angel guarding the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24, though this is purely speculative)
Some suggest he killed the Assyrians in 2 Kings 19:35, although that passage attributes the action to “the angel of the Lord”, without naming him.
2 Kings 19:35 (NKJV):
“And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand...”
None of these descriptions come from Scripture. They are not authoritative and carry no doctrinal weight.
III. The Dangers of Speculating Beyond Scripture
While Uriel may have existed as an angel (God has created “innumerable” angels), the fact that his name is not found in Scripture is significant.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV):
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Peter 1:20–21 (NKJV):
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
The absence of Uriel’s name in Scripture tells us that God did not consider it necessary for believers to know this angel or any actions associated with him. The emphasis in Scripture is always on Christ, not angels.
IV. Warnings Against Angel Worship or Obsession
Scripture warns about mankind’s tendency to worship angels or to obsess over spiritual beings in ways that distract from the sufficiency of Christ:
Colossians 2:18 (NKJV):
“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels…”
Revelation 22:8–9 (NKJV):
“Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel…
Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant... Worship God.’”
V. Could Uriel Be a Real Angel? Possibly—but That’s Not the Point
Scripture suggests that God has named every star:
Psalm 147:4 (NKJV):
“He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name.”
It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that God has named every angel, even though He has only revealed two of those names in the Bible. But we must not form doctrine or build angelology around non-canonical sources.
VI. Final Thoughts: Why Uriel Is Not Part of Biblical Doctrine
Uriel is never named in the canonical Scriptures.
The apocryphal writings that name him are not inspired.
The roles attributed to Uriel are speculative and not doctrinal.
The focus of Christian theology is Christ, not angels.
Knowing the names of additional angels, if important, would have been included in Scripture.
Hebrews 1:1–2 (NKJV):
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…”
