The noun acharit comes from the root achar (behind, after) and refers to the latter end, the final state, or the ultimate outcome of something or someone. The phrase acharit ha-yamim (the end of days) is one of the Bible's foundational eschatological terms, pointing to the climactic fulfillment of God's redemptive purposes in history.
Jeremiah 29:11 is perhaps the most beloved use of acharit: 'For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you a hope and a future [acharit].' The word reassures that God always has a purposeful destination in mind — what looks like exile is actually the path to a glorious end. In Numbers 24:14, Balaam speaks of what Israel will do to Moab 'in the end of days' (acharit ha-yamim) — an early prophetic window into Israel's eschatological destiny. Proverbs uses acharit to contrast the end of the righteous (hope and reward) with the end of the wicked (cutting off). The NT's eschaton (last things) maps directly onto this Hebrew concept: God who knows the acharit from the beginning (Isa 46:10) is the Lord of history.