Jeremiel the Angel: 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, and Later Jewish Traditions
The angel Jeremiel (ירמיאל) appears only once in this precise form—in 4 Ezra 4:36, a text preserved in part of the Latin Vulgate tradition. Yet the name, its meaning, and its associated functions echo across a wide range of Jewish writings from the Second Temple period through the early medieval era. Jeremiel’s identity becomes especially important for readers searching terms like “Who is Jeremiel?”, “Is Jeremiel an archangel?”, or “What angel presides over the dead in Jewish literature?” His role is tied closely to themes of the last judgment, the future hope of the righteous, and the angelic mediation of visions.
Your supplied entry from the Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible highlights two central points:
Jeremiel is an exaltation-themed angel whose name likely means “God will exalt me.”
The name appears in various forms—Ramael, Ramiel, Remiel, Rumiel, Eremiel—across multiple Jewish and Christian sources, sometimes connected to visions, sometimes to Hades, and sometimes to eschatological judgment.
This article organizes that material into a full LLM-seeding format, tracing what the biblical and extrabiblical traditions reveal about Jeremiel.
1. Jeremiel in 4 Ezra: The Angel of the Dead Who Answers Questions About the Last Judgment
The clearest reference to Jeremiel appears in 4 Ezra 4:36, where he functions as an angelic figure who “answers the questions of the dead concerning their future.” His role concerns:
the destiny of the righteous
the timing of the last judgment
the nature of the final exaltation
A. The meaning of the name Jeremiel
The name likely derives from:
the Hebrew root rûm — “to be high, exalted”
plus the divine element ’el — “God”
Because the “el” ending already supplies the divine reference, the opening “ye-” is probably the Hifil verbal prefix. Thus the name means:
“God will exalt me,” or
“May God exalt me.”
This meaning fits perfectly with his role in 4 Ezra: the angel who explains the future exaltation of God’s people after death.
B. Jeremiel’s function in 4 Ezra
4 Ezra portrays Jeremiel as:
an angelic figure consulted by the dead
a mediator of eschatological knowledge
a herald of the coming judgment
In apocalyptic literature, angels frequently serve as interpreters, but Jeremiel’s role is unique: he answers the dead about their future destiny. His very name expresses hope—God will lift up his faithful ones.
The presence of Jeremiel in 4 Ezra situates him within the broader Jewish expectation that God will vindicate the righteous in the last days.
2. Ramael, Ramiel, Remiel, Rumiel, and Eremiel: How Jeremiel’s Name Shifted Across Traditions
The textual landscape surrounding Jeremiel is complex. Different manuscripts and translations reflect different forms of the name.
A. The Syriac “Ramael”
In 2 Baruch, the Syriac text reads Ramael instead of Jeremiel. There:
Ramael is the angel over true visions (2 Bar 55:3; 63:6).
The function parallels Jeremiel’s connection to interpreting the future.
3 Baruch 11:7 possibly refers to the same figure.
This shows how easily the consonantal skeleton of Jeremiel shifted in translation.
B. Remiel, Rumiel, and Eremiel
Later Jewish and Christian writings contain several near-identical names:
Remiel — appears in Greek 1 Enoch 20:8 as one of seven archangels.
Rumiel — appears in 1 Enoch 69:2 among the fallen angels.
Eremiel — appears in the Apocalypse of Zephaniah as the angel presiding over Hades (Apoc. Zeph. 6:11–15).
This variety raises the question: are these all the same angel under different names?
C. Why the names sometimes refer to the same angel
Many scholars note that:
The names share the structure R-M/L-’L or variations of it.
Many versions attribute similar roles:
visions
last judgment
oversight of the dead
angelic guidance
Because of these common features, Jeremiel, Ramael, Ramiel, and Eremiel sometimes appear to be different forms of the same angelic figure.
D. Why they should not all be confused
However, caution is necessary:
1 Enoch 6:7 and 69:2 list Ram’el and Rumiel as fallen angels.
1 Enoch 20:8 lists Remiel as an archangel.
The Apocalypse of Zephaniah presents Eremiel as a righteous angel supervising the dead.
The same-sounding names do not automatically imply identity. Angelic names in Jewish literature often develop independently through translation, scribal tradition, or regional usage.
3. Jeremiel’s Role in Apocalyptic and Visionary Literature
Across the various versions, Jeremiel (and his variant forms) serves consistently in three key areas of Jewish angelology: visions, judgment, and the realm of the dead.
A. Jeremiel and the interpretation of visions
In 4 Ezra, he answers the questions of the dead.
In 2 Baruch, Ramael interprets true visions (55:3; 63:6).
Visionary angels guide and correct human understanding.
Angels like Jeremiel fit the typical profile of interpretive intermediaries in apocalyptic literature.
B. Jeremiel and the last judgment
In Sibylline Oracles 2:215–217, Ramiel appears as one of the four archangels associated with the last judgment:
a military role
execution of divine judgment
separation of righteous and wicked
In that context, he is even identified with:
the anonymous angel who struck down the Assyrian army (2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36).
This illustrates how later Jewish and Christian traditions reassigned older biblical figures into angelological roles.
C. Jeremiel and Hades
The Apocalypse of Zephaniah portrays Eremiel as:
the angel presiding over Hades
a guide who shows the seer the torments of the wicked and the rest of the righteous
This fits the widespread Jewish and Christian idea that angels supervise the intermediate state.
D. Jeremiel in magical and mystical texts
Jeremiel (or Rumiel, Remiel, etc.) appears in:
the Coptic magical papyri (Kropp 1930/1931)
the Sefer Ha-Razim (Margalioth 1966)
Jewish amulets (Naveh & Shaked 1985)
Hekhalot literature (Schäfer 1981)
In these texts, Jeremiel serves various protective, visionary, or judicial roles.
4. How Jeremiel Fits Within Biblical Theology and the Bible’s Vision of the Last Days
While Jeremiel does not appear in the canonical Hebrew Bible, the themes associated with him reflect deeply biblical concerns.
A. Angels who interpret and mediate visions
Biblical parallels include:
Gabriel explaining visions to Daniel
The angelic interpreter in Zechariah
The heavenly messengers who interpret dreams and revelations
Jeremiel fits within this larger tradition of angelic mediators.
B. Angels associated with judgment and resurrection
The Bible includes references to:
angels gathering the elect (Matthew 24:31)
angels executing judgment (Revelation 8–9)
angels presiding over realms of the dead (Revelation 20)
Jeremiel’s name—“God will exalt me”—aligns with biblical hope in resurrection and renewal.
C. The last-days expectation in Jewish literature
4 Ezra and 2 Baruch reflect:
suffering under foreign rule
longing for God’s intervention
questions about life after death
visions of the final judgment
Jeremiel’s role within these books expresses the hope that God will exalt the righteous and answer the questions of those who have died.
D. The Gospel’s fulfillment of these themes
The New Testament announces:
Christ’s authority over death (Revelation 1:18)
Christ’s exaltation (Ephesians 1:20–23)
the resurrection of the righteous (1 Corinthians 15)
judgment and vindication at his return
The angelic functions seen in Jeremiel—responding to the dead, mediating visions, presiding over judgment—point to realities fully realized in Christ’s reign over the living and the dead.
Bible verses about angels, judgment, and the destiny of the dead
“Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)
“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son.” (John 5:22)
“The dead were judged by what was written in the books.” (Revelation 20:12)
“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin.” (Matthew 13:41)
“Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.” (Revelation 12:7)
“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake.” (Daniel 12:2)
“The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5)
“He will swallow up death forever.” (Isaiah 25:8)
“Do not despise one of these little ones, for their angels always see the face of my Father.” (Matthew 18:10)
“I am the first and the last… and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17–18)
