If you go back to the creation story, you read, the text and consider the Hebrew words you will see the following: -
Genesis 1:14-19: - 14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for
days { וּלְיָמִ֖ים ū·lə·yā·mîm } and years;
15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.
16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the
day { הַיּ֔וֹם hay·yō·wm }, and the lesser light to rule the
night { הַמָּא֤וֹר ham·mā·’ō·wr }. He made the stars also.
17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth
day { י֥וֹם yō·wm }.
Please notice the differences in the Hebrew words that are translated as "day". As such the translated "days" in the above passage have very different meanings, corresponding to the reference time frame in which they have been used.
Now if you check out Daniel 8:14 the original language text uses different words again from Genesis_1:16 to describe the passing of the morning and the dusk to indicate the passing of a day.
I do not believe that the understanding is as cut and dry as you would suggest.
Also claiming that "Most of Christendom agrees that the days of creation week were 24 hour periods of time" is a false argument as this is untrue and gives the impression that few if any people would have a differing opinion.
I have not jumped to my conclusions overnight and nailed them down as undisputable facts. It is something that the HS has revealed to me over many years.
Does secularism require a war or an aggressive act to be trampling our society today? How you answer this question may give you an insight into the problems that you are generating concerning the Gentiles trampling the sanctuary looking for a once off event that can be used to a contrary understanding.
Shalom
PS: - Secularism has been trampling our society for thousands of years with few if any pegs to hang our hat on to say, it happened during this time period. Secularism which is another form of Hellenism has been causing havoc within the congregations of churches for many, many, years and cause many to fall away from the faith.